


The Ostrich Casino Opening Night

by hentailobster



Series: The Ongoing Case Of Ricky Goldsworth [4]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: 1930s, Detectives, Gen, Implied Relationships, Other, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, about as violent as usual, and a lesbiabe one at that, but nothing outspoken, hmm this is vaguely homoromantic i realize now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 11:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18659539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hentailobster/pseuds/hentailobster
Summary: Detective C.C. Tinsley, formerly of Old York's police department, currently jobless, travels to Los Demonios in the hope that an offer from two attorneys will help him with his current situation. Of course, that goes about as well as expected





	The Ostrich Casino Opening Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest one yet and I just wanna point that out because I'm!!! Very proud of myself!!!!

**** In the central parts of Los Demonios, there was a crossing of two streets- Coin Avenue and Little Griffin Street. In that crossing was a building, made of red brick and eight stories high, with a sign on its double doors reading _’Night Night & Legs- Attorneys at Law’. _The sign was a discreet, but no less well-made, thing in a metal meant to look like gold. It didn’t draw much attention, which was just how the owners of Night Night & Legs- Attorneys at Law liked it. Their clientele was limited, which meant they shouldn’t have been making as much money as they did, however their clients were all, without exception, almost unbearably rich. Their money was what had paid for the golden sign, the chandelier in the hallway and the velvet couch in the waiting room outside the building’s main office. A couch which was currently being occupied by a somewhat lanky and recently jobless detective. 

 

C.C. Tinsley, formerly of Old York’s police department, currently of no one in particular but himself looked about as uncomfortable as he felt in the expensive couch. Partly because it was expensive, partly because there was another man in the room, staring at him. 

 

”Real nice weather today, don’t you think” Tinsley said, in his third attempt at sparking conversation. It failed, just like the previous ones had. The man just kept staring at Tinsley with an unreadable expression. 

 

Tinsley tried to find anything else in the room to look at. There was a clock, each tick a second added to the time his possible employers were late, a bookshelf which he’d been amusing himself with had it not been ordained with two glass doors, each of them locked. Besides that here was the elevator that Tinsley had arrived in, shortly followed by the apparently not very talkative man, and which now- to Tinsley’s great relief- made a noise indicating someone had arrived with it. 

 

A man who looked to be about as tall as Tinsley himself and wearing an expensive suit stepped out and nodded to the not very talkative man, who at that simple gesture spoke for the first time since his arrival. 

 

”Kept an eye on ’im for you” He said, or rather mumbled. It was hard to properly make out the words and he had a very pronounced accent ( _”kipt en ie on ’im fer ya”_ ) which didn’t exactly help. The tall man seemed to understand perfectly, though, because he nodded again. The gesture must have meant the mumbling man could go, because he did, leaving Tinsley alone with the tall one. He stood up and extended a hand. 

 

”C.C. Tinsley” He introduced himself ”I’m here to see Night Night and Legs” 

 

”The latter would be me” The tall man- Legs, evidently- shook Tinsley’s hand ”Pleasure meeting you, detective. Night Night will be joining us shortly so you could follow me in the meantime” 

 

Legs led him into a dimly lit office, gesturing for Tinsley to sit on a chair facing a large desk while he himself took one of the two chairs behind it. The moment he sat down he opened a drawer, retrieving a stack of papers that he immediately dropped on the floor. Legs cursed and leaned down to fetch them, disappearing behind the desk for a good minute, save for his hand that would occasionally shove a few of the papers on the table. Tinsley wasn’t sure if we should help, but after a while he figured it was needed. He stood up, at the exact same moment another man opened the door to the room. 

 

”You are a tragedy. You know that right” The man said, then turned to Tinsley ”Stay where you are. I bet he dropped them, right? Typical” 

 

The other man was shorter and looked…familiar. Tinsley smiled at him. 

 

”Mister Night Night, I presume” 

 

”In the flesh. It’s so good to have you here, detective” Night Night patted Tinsley’s shoulder in passing as he made for the chair next to Legs’. The latter had just finished getting the paper back on the desk, and his slicked-back hair was slightly out of place. Night Night cast him a disapproving glance which was met with a glare, before the two of them turned back to Tinsley. 

 

”Now” Night Night said ”Let’s get straight to business. You’re here because you’re interested in our offer, correct?” 

 

”I don’t see why else I would be” Tinsley smiled ”Since I’m jobless at the moment I don’t really have a choice” 

 

”Perfect!” Legs nodded, then added, as an afterthought ”Not that you’re jobless. That you’re about to be less jobless” 

 

”We aren’t happy that you used to be jobless” Night Night agreed ”Anyway, I’ll just get right to the point- we need you to find someone for us. A man, that we hear you’ve had dealings with in the past” 

 

”You’ll have to be a little more specific than that” Tinsley tried to ignore the feeling that he knew what was coming. 

 

”Indeed we have” Legs flipped through the stack of papers on the desk, finally retrieving a photo which he handed to Tinsley. Tinsley took it and looked down to see a familiar face. The photo must have been taken a few years ago, and from a distance at that, but there was no mistaking the dark glare. 

 

”You may know this man as Ricky Goldsworth” Night Night said. Tinsley nodded, shifting his gaze between the photo and Night Night. The two were…eerily similar. There were more than a few differences in their features, and Night Night was perhaps a bit taller, but the way they moved, the way they _emoted,_ was almost identical. 

 

”I’ve met him” Tinsley decided to keep his observations to himself for now ”A few times. But I don’t think I can find him for you two. He’s usually the one who finds me” 

 

”I understand that” Night Night nodded ”Believe me, we’ve tried ourselves, we know how he can be. But this is no longer a question of personal interest. We have a client who’s interested in him and we need every bit of help we can get” 

 

”And before you ask” Legs cut in ”Our client wishes to remain anonymous. They’re a very private person” 

 

”So” Night Night opened one of the desk’s drawers, retrieving a checkbook ”Are you still interested?” 

 

”I can try” Tinsley caught a glimpse of the sum Night Night was writing down and quickly added a ”My best” 

 

”Very well” Night Night handed him the check with a slight smile ”We expect you to report to us as often as you can. Our associate will show you to your apartment” 

 

”Thank you so much, mister Night Night. Mister Legs” Tinsley nodded to them both, then stood up. He made for the door, but stopped just as he was about to open it. 

 

”Can I just ask one last question, though?” He said ”Do any of you know Ricky? I mean, have you met him before?” 

 

Night Night’s expression was unreadable, and so, so similar to how Ricky looked when he wanted to hide something. 

 

”Not that I’m aware” He said, smiling coldly. Tinsley returned the smile and left the office with a wave. 

 

Waiting outside was Francesca Norris, looking only mildly interested in the situation. She greeted Tinsley with a nod, then turned around and made for the elevator. Tinsley followed her without a word, since he wasn’t sure what to say. They both got in the elevator and miss Norris pressed the button for ground level. As the elevator started to move Tinsley finally figured out something to say. 

 

”So, miss Norris-” 

 

”Call me Francesca. We’ll be seeing each other a lot, after all, so formalities are bound to get annoying” 

 

”Right then, Francesca” Tinsley put his hands in his pockets ”Have you heard what my job is?”

 

”I have, and it’ll certainly be interesting” 

 

”And what’s your role in all of this?” Tinsley asked. Francesca was silent for a while before answering. 

 

”They hired me to find him first” She said ”But he’s hard to catch. I did manage to find someone who might have a better chance, though” 

 

”Aha” Tinsley nodded ”So you’re a detective too?” 

 

”Sort of” Francesca shrugged ”When there’s a need. I’m good at gathering information” 

 

The elevator stopped and the two stepped out into the office’s hallway. Francesca swung open the heavy doors to the building with ease, then pointed Tinsley in the direction of a black car parked on the street outside. Tinsley got in the backseat, followed by Francesca who tapped the driver’s shoulder. He turned around, and Tinsley recognized him as the not very talkative man from the waiting room, who was still not very talkative. 

 

”Black Bear Alley 42” Francesca said. The man turned around and started the car without so much as a nod to confirm he’d heard her, so for all Tinsley knew they could be headed to literally anywhere but Black Bear Alley 42. Possibly the edge of town to dispose of them both in the harbor. The not very talkative man had that vibe. 

 

Francesca leaned back in her seat and Tinsley turned to her, planning to ask a few questions, but she shook her head the moment he opened his mouth. Tinsley got the hint, shut up and turned to look out the window instead. He watched the streets of Los Demonios go by outside, trying to memorize them and get a sense of where his home would be in relation to his employers. Not too far, it became clear, as the car stopped about two minutes later right by a narrow alley. The not very talkative man got out and opened the door for Tinsley, while Francesca got out by herself. She nodded to the not very talkative man who mumbled something in return and got back in the car. As he started it, Francesca gestured for Tinsley to follow her into the alley. It was decidedly less fancy than the streets where the office had been, in fact it reminded Tinsley a little of Old York. Dark, silent compared to the street outside and a little damp. It was well cleaned, however, and the door marked ’42’ opened without a sound to a well lit entrance and stairwell. 

 

”Right” Francesca said, as she began walking towards the elevator ”We get the top floor, there we can talk. G’day doesn’t say much but he’s an excellent listener” 

 

”And you don’t want him to hear what we’re saying?” 

 

”Of course not. He’ll tell Night Night and Legs the moment he gets back to the office” Francesca opened the elevator door and pressed the twelfth floor button. As the elevator started to move she continued. 

 

”Some advice for you: don’t tell those two more than you have to. In fact, try not to talk to them except for when you’re getting paid” 

 

Tinsley just nodded, not sure what to make of the situation. He’d known Francesca for longer than Night Night and Legs, but not by far, so he wasn’t exactly more inclined to trust her than them. Of course, Night Night had declined to tell him things, but who was to say Francesca wasn’t doing the same? 

 

The elevator finally stopped and the two stepped out into a short corridor, with two doors on each side. Francesca made for the one on the right, furthest from the elevator and opened it for Tinsley. Inside was an office, furnished in a similar fashion as Night Night and Legs’, but in a state of complete disarray. There were papers strewn all over the floor, nailed to the walls and in piles on the desk. From the looks of it, someone- probably Francesca- had been busy. 

 

”This will be our office” She gestured to the mess with a completely unbothered expression ”You have one of your own, but I’d like you to come help me out here instead” 

 

”Why?” Tinsley nudged one of the papers with his foot. It appeared to have been a newspaper once, but now it was cut up and scribbled on to the point of being unrecognizable. 

 

”Because we’ll be working together. Obviously” Francesca moved a pile of paper off of a chair which she then placed by the desk ”Now, we know where we last had Goldsworth” 

 

”Port” Tinsley said ”Any news from there?” 

 

”No killings” Francesca handed Tinsley a folder of newspapers ”And none in the surrounding area” 

 

”So we have nothing?” 

 

”Yeah” Francesca sighed.

 

”And I don’t know how to find him” Tinsley was starting to feel like he’d made a mistake ”I’ve tried, and the only times I’ve ran into him it’s been an accident. So what do we do?” 

 

”Well, you have two options” Francesca folded her hands on the desk ”You can either run around, trying to find Goldsworth, or you help me out instead” 

 

There was a pause, in which Tinsley tried to come up with something to say. What he finally settled on was: 

 

”With what?” 

 

”Well” Francesca drew the word out, as if she was having second thoughts ”I have a…suspicion. I didn’t see much of Goldsworth but he reminds me of Night Night”

 

”Right, yeah. I noticed that too” Tinsley nodded ”And you think this can help us, somehow?” 

 

”I like to know who I’m dealing with, and evidently Night Night won’t tell me the full story” Francesca said ”So, while you’re waiting for Goldsworth to run into you again, you could help me try and figure out what’s going on” 

 

She extended a hand to Tinsley with a smile. He hesitated to take it, unsure what to think. It felt like things were moving way too fast for him to process, and it didn’t help that he was starting to feel a little tired. Absentmindedly, Tinsley scratched at the bandaid covering the wound on his neck, then finally made up his mind. Francesca was right in that it would be good to know what his employers got up to. 

 

He shook her hand and returned her smile, albeit a little stiffly. 

 

”Deal” He said. 

 

”Great” Francesca’s smile widened ”Now, let me show you to your apartment. You must be tired” 

 

 

 

Tinsley’s apartment was on the opposite end of the corridor and closer to the door. Francesca handed him a key, and as he took it he couldn’t help but feel like he was being rewarded for his cooperation. He didn’t say that to Francesca, of course, just opened the door to his apartment. 

 

The first room was a dark hallway. Francesca turned the lights on and stepped inside, taking her shoes off and discarding them next to a coat rack. Tinsley did the same, and hung up his coat on the rack, then moved into the apartment. Besides a slim bookshelf, there were three doors in the hallway, the first of which led to a green-tiled bathroom. It had a bathtub with lion feet, something that made Tinsley suspect that Night Night and Legs had had a hand in furnishing the apartment as well. It was consistent with their tastes. With a final look in the slightly too low hanging mirror, Tinsley closed the door and moved on. 

 

The second door led to a small kitchen, with a window facing the larger street where the car had stopped. There was a table and two chairs next to it, which was probably excellent for watching the people of Los Demonios hurry by, if that was your thing. It wasn’t exactly Tinsley’s favorite pastime, but he figured it was practical if he ever needed to keep lookout. If he opened the window and leaned out he could see Black Bear Alley’s only entrance, meaning he could also see anyone who wanted to get inside the building if he wanted to. 

 

The final door led to a bedroom, with a large bed. Tinsley normally didn’t spend much time in bed, usually falling asleep in the nearest chair or on a desk instead, but right now he found he wanted nothing more than to lay down on something that was actually comfortable. 

 

”You should probably get some rest” Francesca said, as if she’d read his mind ”You look a little pale” 

 

”Probably” Tinsley nodded. 

 

”Don’t worry about following me out. I’ll lock the door” Francesca’s tone was reassuring, but the fact that she apparently had a key to Tinsley’s apartment gave the words the opposite effect. Well, he could worry about that later. For now, Tinsley, laid down on the bed, finding it more comfortable than anything he’d ever slept on. His eyes fell shut almost immediately and as his breath started to slow down to a peaceful rhythm he could hear the door being locked. 

 

The last coherent thought he had before falling asleep was that his neck was hurting. 

 

 

 

Tinsley had a strange dream that night, which is why it was unfortunate that when he woke up he couldn’t remember anything of it. As he slowly stirred, the memories slipped away until the only thing remaining was the sound of waves and the sensation of falling. 

 

_Strange,_ Tinsley thought. And then he thought that he was about to be sick. 

 

He nearly tripped over his own legs as he hurried to the bathroom, only just making it there in time. With a pained wail he heaved himself over the toilet and threw up. 

 

When he was done he slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. Someone opened the door and a moment later he could hear Francesca ask if he was alright. 

 

”Not really” He replied, truthfully. 

 

_”Dios mío”_ Francesca muttered as she entered the room ”Yeah, you don’t look alright. Am I correct in guessing you don’t feel up to detective work today?” 

 

”No, no. Running around asking people about a local attorney is _just_ what I need right now”

 

”Alright no need to get sarcastic with me” Francesca nudged Tinsley’s arm with her toe ”You stay inside and get better, then, and I’ll do all the hard work” 

 

”I’m _sick_ ” 

 

”Whatever” 

 

Francesca left without further comment, and Tinsley stayed on the floor for a while. He didn’t feel like he’d throw up again, but he did feel tired. The type of tired where his body wouldn’t listen to him properly and every slight movement felt like a chore. 

 

With a strained grunt, he managed to get up and made for his bedroom. It took time. He had to stop now and then to rest, leaning against the wall for support. When he finally got to the bedroom he pretty much fell onto the bed, which he still hadn’t unmade. Falling asleep on top of the covers hadn’t bothered him last night, but now he was starting to feel cold. He managed to crawl in under the covers through some rather complicated acrobatics and curled up with a shudder. His hand drifted to his neck, finding the wound hot and throbbing slightly. Probably infected. He muttered a curse and slipped his hand back under the covers. Soon, he started to drift off. 

 

 

 

Tinsley spent the next two days in a haze, somewhere between awake and asleep. Occasionally, he’d feel slightly better and try to get up and eat a little, only to find that he wasn’t hungry. It wasn’t until the third day he started to feel like he wanted to eat, not just needed to. The difference between awake and asleep was starting to feel way more distinct, too. He could stay awake for longer periods of time without drifting off, and he used that time to finally eat and explore his apartment a little more thoroughly. 

 

Both the kitchen and the bathroom were fully equipped. The former with kitchenware and various foodstuffs, the latter with what seemed like a million different soaps. Or at least eight. Far more than Tinsley was used to. The kitchen also held a large, empty cabinet that could probably be used as a pantry. Or, if the need arose, to hide a body. It might get a little cramped for someone as tall as Tinsley, but anyone shorter would fit in nicely. That was, _if_ the need arose, which it hopefully wouldn’t. Tinsley closed the cabinet and headed back to his bedroom. On his way, he grabbed a book from the shelf in the hallway, not really caring what it was about, as long as it was something to think about that wasn’t all the detective work he wasn’t doing at the moment. 

 

The book turned out to be a really poorly written horror story. Something about two men looking for a cult by a bridge in the middle of nowhere, while also being chased by a demon. It wasn’t exactly Tinsley’s preferred type of literature, and on just the third chapter he was starting to lose focus. Suddenly, he realized he’d read the same sentence five times, and decided that now was as good a time as any to go to sleep. He put the book on the nightstand without bothering to put in a bookmark, then pulled the covers over himself and was asleep in what felt like little more than a minute. 

 

 

 

The sound of footsteps in the hallway woke Tinsley up. 

 

He opened his eyes and held his breath, trying to catch a glimpse of anything in the dark hallway. There was nothing visible but a shadow, slightly darker than its surroundings. Tinsley tried to get out of bed as silently as possible. It could just be Francesca, of course, but Tinsley wasn’t sure what she would want with him in the middle of the night. One in the morning, to be precise. A quick glance at the clock hanging next to the door confirmed that. 

 

The footsteps came to a halt, and Tinsley stopped moving as well. He held his breath, waiting for the intruder to make themselves known. Then, the shadow spoke, with a slightly raspy version of a familiar voice. 

 

”Tinman?” 

 

Tinsley relaxed, and sighed before responding. 

 

”Yeah it’s me” He said ”You could have knocked, you know” 

 

”I did” Ricky stepped into the bedroom ”You didn’t hear it. You look like shit, by the way” 

 

”Thanks. So do you” It was true. Ricky’s hair was a mess of dark curls, falling into his eyes and sticking out in all directions. There were dark bags under his eyes and his collar was crumpled. 

 

”Whatever, you look worse” Ricky muttered, then raised his voice slightly ”You’ve been sick, right?” 

 

”Yeah, why?” Tinsley got off the bed and put his hands in his pockets. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t changed clothes in a few days. 

 

”Oh it’s just, I got sick and I thought it might have something to do with that vampire we met so I came to check if-” 

 

”Wait, stop. Hold on” Tinsley cut Ricky off ”Vampire?” 

 

”Yeah that Bella, uh, Doro-whatever” Ricky waved his hand dismissively ”I thought since we both got bitten I’d check if you had the same reaction. Just to make sure” 

 

”Bella Doroftei” Tinsley ran a hand through his hair with a chuckle ”You think she was a vampire” 

 

Ricky stared at him, with a puzzled look on his face. 

 

”Yeah” He said slowly, as if talking to a particularly dumb child ”She hypnotized you. And bit you in the neck. Vampires tend to do that” 

 

”Yeah, in stories” Tinsley didn’t mind those stories, just as long as those who read them kept them out of investigations ”But that’s hardly relevant right now, is it?” 

 

Ricky rolled his eyes. 

 

”You are insufferable. And you smell” 

 

”You’re short” 

 

A moment of silence followed, as the two glared at each other while reflecting upon the undeniable truth of both statements. Finally, Ricky broke the eye contact to roll his eyes again, then strolled over to the nightstand and picked up Tinsley’s book. 

 

”That was all I wanted to know anyway, so I should probably leave. Do you mind if I take this, by the way? It seems interesting” He waved the book in Tinsley’s direction, and in almost the exact same moment, Tinsley realized that it was probably a bad idea to let Ricky leave, considering what his current mission was. 

 

”You can borrow it, sure, but I’d really like you to stay for a while” 

 

That seemed to surprise Ricky. He put the book down again and narrowed his eyes slightly, like he was trying to figure out what Tinsley was thinking. 

 

”Why?” He finally asked. 

 

”I have a few questions about my current employers that I think you can answer” Tinsley replied ”I just recently lost my job, by the way. In case you were wondering” 

 

”Oh, no I already knew that” Ricky waved his hand dismissively ”Asked for you at the police department in Old York. There was this one really cooperative detective, I honestly think he’d apologize to me if I poured hot soup in his lap” 

 

”Detective Lynham” 

 

”That’s right” Ricky nodded ”Don’t worry, I didn’t have to actually _do_ anything to him. He told me everything the moment I mentioned who I was. Did you know they were bribed to fire you, by the way?” 

 

Tinsley froze. 

 

”What?” He asked. 

 

”Yeah” Ricky chuckled ”And it wasn’t much, either. Especially when you consider the guys who did it can afford to pay a lot more” 

 

”Wait” Tinsley felt like he was being given too much information too fast, even though it wasn’t _that_ much ”You know the people who did it?” 

 

”Yeah” Ricky pulled a face ”They’re big names in the mob. Call themselves Legs and Night Night” 

 

”Oh” Was all Tinsley could say at first. He felt like the conversation’s many surprises had somehow piled up to the point where he was numb to this particular one. After some time he managed to add a ”Well that’s…a surprise” 

 

”Why?” Ricky asked. 

 

”Because they hired me” Tinsley’s head was starting to spin, trying to wrap itself around what was happening ”To find you, to be precise” 

 

 

 

As Tinsley told his side of the story, Ricky’s eyes grew wider and wider. By the time he was done Ricky looked about as confused as Tinsley felt. 

 

”And they never told you who this client of theirs was?” He asked. 

 

”No” Tinsley shook his head ”They said it was a very private person”

 

”That’s one more problem then” 

 

”It is” Tinsley agreed ”But it’s somewhere we can start asking around if we want to figure this out” 

 

”Yeah” Ricky sighed ”And you said you had some things you wanted to ask me, right?” 

 

”Oh, yes” Tinsley had almost forgotten ”I couldn’t help but notice when I was talking to Night Night, the two of you look kind of-”

 

”Alike” Ricky interrupted him, sounding a little annoyed ”Yeah, I’ve heard that before. We’re related somehow. At least, that’s what my mom used to say” 

 

Well, that was one mystery solved. Strangely enough, all Tinsley could think about was the fact that Ricky had parents. Somehow, the thought had never struck him, and it was still odd to think about. 

 

”So why would he want to find you” Tinsley tried to remember the conversation he’d had with Night Night ”He said that it…wasn’t personal anymore. But that he and his friend had tried before the client came along. I’m guessing it was personal back then” 

 

”Yeah, he’s never liked me” Ricky looked strangely nostalgic ”Could have something to do with my methods, but who’s to say?” 

 

”Do you have any idea why he’d want to find you?” Tinsley asked. 

 

”To have me killed, probably” Ricky replied without a moment’s hesitation ”The question is why he needed you, specifically” 

 

”Something that will probably become a lot clearer once we find the client” Tinsley finished ”Francesca might be able to help us with that” 

 

 

 

They found Francesca awake, and only mildly surprised at the fact that Ricky was there. She showed them inside her apartment, which was nearly as messy as her office, and made some tea. As it boiled, Tinsley explained the situation to her, then finally asked about the client. 

 

”I’m sorry” Francesca shook her head ”But I don’t know anything about them. Give me some time and I might be able to figure something out, though”

 

”Sounds reasonable” Tinsley nodded ”Have you found anything else while I was sick, by the way?” 

 

”Well” Francesca took a sip of her tea before continuing ”I have someone I want to interrogate, but there’s a bit of a problem. I don’t suppose either of you speak any korean?” 

 

”No” Ricky cut in, with a somewhat thoughtful tone ”But Joan might” 

 

Francesca’s face lit up. 

 

”She did sound like she knew a lot of languages” She nodded enthusiastically. 

 

”That’s true” Tinsley agreed ”That just leaves us with the problem of finding her. Last time we saw her she was in Ditch, but I don’t know if that’s where she lives so-” 

 

”So I’ll just call her” Francesca interrupted ”Give me a minute, there’s a phone booth outside. I’d rather not use the one in the office” 

 

That was probably the right call, no pun intended. A phone put in by Night Night and Legs was probably the last thing you’d want to use when going behind their backs. Then, of course, there was the less pressing but nonetheless puzzling issue. 

 

”You have miss Porter’s number?” 

 

”Yeah” Francesca said nonchalantly, and left the apartment without further comment. 

 

Neither Ricky nor Tinsley said anything. Ricky looked like he was deep in thought, so Tinsley picked up a newspaper laying on the table. There certainly was a lot going on in Los Demonios. The first headline was about a suicide pact, and it was followed by various stories about all sorts of crime. Tinsley skimmed through them until his eye caught on a particular headline. 

 

_’Family Slaughtered In Home- Axe Murderer Still On The Loose’._

 

With a sense of déjà vu, Tinsley started reading the article. There weren’t many details besides the goriest ones, but it appeared as though the killer had entered the house while the family was asleep. _Well how about that,_ Tinsley thought. That sounded _incredibly_ familiar. Granted, it had been a few months since he’d dealt with the Old York axe murders, but he still remembered what had happened. It could be a different killer, but Tinsley did have a way to confirm. That was, if he could get to the crime scene, which could prove difficult with him working privately nowadays. 

 

Beside a large ad for a casino which was apparently supposed to open, there was a section titled _’Further reading’._ It held a list of articles concerning the case, with headlines and dates. The latest was from just a few days back, while the earliest was nearly six months. 

 

_Bingo._

 

Things were starting to add up. Tinsley got up from the table and scanned the room, finally finding a basket of newspapers next to the stove. He quickly made for them, and started going through them, looking for the dates listed in the first article. Ricky cast him a few weird looks, but mainly ignored him in favor of his recently discarded newspaper. At some point he commented on the casino, but Tinsley was too busy looking through headlines to reply. The oldest newspaper he could find in the basket was from just two months ago and had a small note on the killings, mainly saying that nothing new had happened in the investigation. The next mention he could find was of a new killing, this time of an older couple who’d- just like the others- been killed in their homes while asleep. The three following newspapers told the story of the case, slowly losing the bloody details and focusing more on the police work. Finally, in a short article almost at the end of the newspaper, Tinsley found what he was looking for. 

 

_’Police once again found a puddle of blood in the hallway, but still refuse to comment on the suspicions that this might serve a ritualistic purpose. The theory was brought up with the second killing, in which the Jonas family was found dead and missing their-’_

 

”Holy _shit_ ” Tinsley mumbled, and Ricky looked up. 

 

”What’s going on?” He asked. 

 

”I think-” Tinsley took a deep breath ”I think the axe murderer from Old York might be in town” 

 

Francesca chose that moment to return, looking more cheerful than usual. 

 

”I woke her up” She explained ”But she was very understanding and she does speak korean. She said she’d love to help and if everything goes according to plan I should be able to pick her up at the station tomorrow morning” 

 

When she noticed Tinsley sitting on the floor, surrounded by newspaper her brows furrowed in confusion. 

 

”What’s up with him?” She asked, aiming her question at Ricky rather than Tinsley. Tinsley suspected he might look a little disconnected. 

 

”Have I ever told you how me and Tinman met? No? Well he was trying to solve a series of really grizzly axe murders” Ricky explained ”He never did, of course, ’cause he was too busy suspecting me, and the guy got away. But it looks like he might be continuing his streak here in Los Demonios now” 

 

”Oh” Francesca’s eyebrows shot up ”Well that’s certainly a coincidence. And sadly not one we have the time for now. I suggest you two go to sleep so you can help me out tomorrow. You don’t seem to be very sick anymore, after all” 

 

”Yes ma’am” Tinsley said an he and Ricky got up from their respective seats. Francesca followed them out into the hallway and said goodnight before closing after them. 

 

”So I’ll be staying with you” Ricky said as Tinsley opened the door to his apartment. 

 

”You know you really should ask more nicely” Tinsley remarked, stepping into the hallway. 

 

”It wasn’t a question” Ricky followed him in and closed the door behind them. 

 

”Well then you should try asking” Tinsley paused for a moment, before continuing ”Do you have anywhere to stay?” 

 

”I wasn’t planning on staying for more than a few hours, so no” 

 

”Fine then” Tinsley finally gave in ”But I’ll have you know I only have one bed, so it’s gonna get cramped” 

 

Ricky was silent for a moment, before he finally muttered a ”Thanks”. Tinsley figured it was better than nothing and made for the bedroom without further talking. 

 

He was right in that it got cramped, but not to the point where either of them couldn’t fall asleep. It was a little harder for Tinsley, as Ricky started to snore softly, but after a while he got used to it and drifted off. 

 

 

 

The next morning, Tinsley was woken up by someone knocking on the door. He blinked awake, and tried to get out of bed only to accidentally put his elbow on Ricky’s back, which woke him up as well. He shoved Tinsley off himself, and the bed in the process, with an upset curse, then got out himself. He made a motion for the hallway, then changed his mind and rolled in under the bed. 

 

”What are you doing?” Tinsley asked. 

 

”If Night Night comes over I’d prefer him not to see me” 

 

”Fair point” 

 

Tinsley hurried off, as there was yet another knock on the door. He opened it, and was met with a wide grin from miss Porter. 

 

”Tinsley!” She gave him a quick hug, then stepped past him into the apartment ”It’s so good to see you again” 

 

”It’s good to see you too, miss Porter” Tinsley smiled. 

 

”Oh please, drop the ’miss Porter’ already. We’ve known each other long enough” She looked over her shoulder to return his smile, then turned back to the corridor just in time to meet Ricky, who had emerged from the bedroom. He was a little dusty from laying under the bed, but Joan didn’t seem to mind and pulled him too into a hug. The gesture seemed to catch Ricky by surprise, because he stiffened slightly and his face took on a puzzled expression. When Joan let go, he quickly shifted to a smile, however. 

 

”Welcome to Los Demonios” He said ”How was your trip?” 

 

”Uneventful, thank god for that” Joan laughed ”Wouldn’t want a repeat of last time” 

 

For a split second, Tinsley caught her smile faltering, but it quickly returned as she went on to talk about how excited she was about helping out with the investigation, and how sorry she was that Tinsley had been fired, and sick at that. 

 

”Oh, that’s right” She snapped her fingers ”I was supposed to ask you to come over to Fran’s. She wants to start planning immediately” 

 

”No time to waste, then” Tinsley said ”I just need to change clothes” 

 

”Me too” Ricky joined in ”We’ll be over in…say five minutes” 

 

”Sounds perfect” Joan smiled ”See you two soon, then” 

 

 

 

A little more than five minutes later, Tinsley, Ricky, Joan and Francesca were assembled in Francesca’s office. She explained who they were talking to, an old korean woman who was part of the army of cleaners at Night Night and Legs’ office building. Apparently she was the only one Francesca hadn’t been able to talk to due to the language barrier, and coincidentally, she’d been stationed right outside the office itself for the few hours every day that the duo took visitations from their few clients. The group quickly formulated a plan, which involved leaving Ricky in tinsley’s apartment, first and foremost. The rest of them were to try and catch the cleaner at work and have Joan ask her about any clients who’d come through in the short time before Tinsley was hired. So, a relatively simple plan. 

 

The group, minus Ricky of course, got their coats and decided to walk the relatively short way to Coin Avenue. On their way, Francesca and Joan talked about just about everything, it seemed to Tinsley, who felt a little bit left out. 

 

They arrived at the office and headed inside, taking the elevator to the top floor. At the fifth floor, the elevator stopped and an old woman with a broom stepped inside. Francesca lightly tapped Joan’s shoulder. 

 

”That’s her” She gestured to the woman and Joan nodded. 

 

”Right” She said and stepped forward, stopping next to the woman. With a smile, she started talking in a soft, reassuring tone. The woman looked surprised at first, but then quickly returned Joan’s smile and responded. When the elevator reached the top floor they were still talking, the woman occasionally laughing at something Joan said, then finally getting a little more serious. With a last few words she grabbed her broom and made for a door at the end of the waiting room marked _’Cleaning’._ Once she was gone, Joan turned to Tinsley and Francesca. 

 

”I think I got everything” She exhaled, a proud smile spreading across her face ”She says there’s been three clients the past month. One-” 

 

She was cut off by the door to Night Night and Legs’ office opening, and the latter stepping out.

 

”Detective Tinsley, Francesca” He nodded to the two before his gaze landed on Joan ”Who’s your friend?” 

 

”Uh…” Tinsley cast a panicked glance at Francesca, who looked about the same as him ”She’s-” 

 

”Here for the audition” Joan cut Tinsley off with a smile ”For the casino opening night” 

 

She gestured to a poster hanging to Tinsley’s left and he quickly read it, trying to catch up with the situation. It had the name of the casino he’d seen advertised for in the newspaper- Ostrich Casino- on it, and under it a singer for the opening night was being requested. 

 

”That’s right” Tinsley mirrored Joan’s smile ”I noticed the poster last time I was here, and since Joan here is a _brilliant_ singer, I thought I’d contact her about the opportunity” 

 

Legs was silent for a moment, before smiling back. 

 

”Well that’s just splendid then. We haven’t had any good applicants yet” He took Joan’s hand, and before anyone could respond he was leading her away. 

 

”I’ll return her in a minute” He yelled back to Tinsley and Francesca, who were left in the waiting room. 

 

 

 

In about half an hour, Legs and Joan returned, talking back and forth about times, instruments and clothing. They said goodbye, and Joan, Francesca and Tinsley could finally leave. 

 

”So” Tinsley said once they were in the elevator ”I take it you got the job?” 

 

”I did” Joan looked a little troubled ”I do hope it won’t get in the way of the investigation, though” 

 

”It won’t” Francesca reassured her ”Congratulations!” 

 

The two’s eyes met and Tinsley once again felt left out. No, those weren’t the right words. He felt like he’d intruded on something he wasn’t supposed to be part of in the first place. It was sweet, no doubt about it, but they had to get on with the investigation, so he pushed the button for the ground floor, then cleared his throat. 

 

”So, Joan” He realized he sounded a little awkward ”What did the cleaning lady tell you?” 

 

”Ah, yes” Joan looked like she’d just been woken up from a nap ”Three clients, as I said. An older man with a mustache and a southern accent, another man who wears a dark coat and has a scar across his forehead, and a woman with eyes like- how did she describe them- like blue ice. She said the latter scared her a lot” 

 

”Anyone sound familiar?” Francesca asked. Tinsley nodded. 

 

”The woman. I’ve met someone like her” He shrugged ”But last time I saw her she was falling to her death, so I don’t think she’d want anything with me and Ricky” 

 

 

 

Ricky didn’t agree with Tinsley on that point. 

 

”She might have survived!” After a few minutes of heated discussion, he was starting to raise his voice ”If she’s a vampire she definitely could have!” 

 

”Ricky we’ve been over this a thousand times” Tinsley rubbed his temples ”Vampires aren’t real. They’re completely irrelevant to this discussion” 

 

”Not if one is looking for me and wanted you here, specifically, they aren’t” 

 

”Well what makes you think she’s a vampire?!” 

 

”She bit you in the neck, she bit me in the neck, she even bit mister Bernard in the neck!” Tinsley noted that Ricky left out the bit where he’d choked mister Bernard to death with a pillow ”She was pretty big on neck biting, if you didn’t notice” 

 

”That sounds like a vampire” Joan cut in. 

 

”Thank you” Ricky smiled at Joan, then went back to glaring at Tinsley ”See, Jojo gets it” 

 

”Joan, I think you’re great, but I have to strongly disagree with you on this” Tinsley turned to Francesca ”You don’t think she’s a vampire, right?” 

 

”What I think doesn’t matter” Francesca sounded like the discussion was getting on her nerves, which was fair ”This woman is the only one who sounds like she might have some connection to you two, so she’s our main suspect at the moment” 

 

With a final glare at Ricky, Tinsley decided it was best to put the discussion on hold and listen to what Francesca had to say. Ricky seemed to agree. 

 

”So what do we do?” He asked. 

 

”Well, Joan will be spending a lot of time at the office from now on, right?” Francesca turned to Joan, who nodded. 

 

”Yes, that’s what’s planned. The opening night is in just a week, so we don’t have much time to prepare” 

 

”Wait, what casino? What’s going on?” Ricky looked from Joan to Francesca. 

 

”Joan’s got a job at that casino you saw in the paper yesterday” Tinsley explained ”It turns out, Night Night and Legs own the place, and they needed a singer for opening night” 

 

”Right” Ricky nodded ”The Ostrich Casino. Looks fancy” 

 

”Oh it will be, no doubt about it” Joan said ”At least from what Legs told me” 

 

”For Night Night and him that’s hardly surprising” Francesca was moving closer to Joan ”Now I hate to have to ask you this, but would you mind snooping a little while you’re at work?” 

 

”Of course not!” Joan exclaimed ”I’d be happy to help out” 

 

Francesca’s voice was softer than Tinsley had ever heard it as she replied. 

 

”Thank you” 

 

 

 

The following days were spent stuck together in Francesca’s office, while waiting for Joan to come back from work and tell everyone what had happened. Tinsley tried to ask Ricky about his family, so that they could perhaps figure out why Night Night didn’t like him, but Ricky evidently didn’t like answering questions about his past. From what Tinsley managed to piece together, however, Ricky had grown up with no one but a very religious mother and hadn’t even heard of Night Night until he started making a name for himself in Los Demonios. What had ultimately happened to his mother remained a mystery, just as her relation to Night Night. 

 

Other than question Ricky about his family, Tinsley spent three days looking through all newspapers he could find for updates about the axe murderer. They had yet to strike again, but as the case grew older the police would start releasing more and more details about when the killings had happened, who the witnesses were and so on and so forth. Tinsley would have given anything to be out in the field, trying to track the killer down, but fate would have it so that he was instead trapped with another killer in his own apartment. After some brief discussion it had been agreed upon that it was best for Ricky to stay with them, both for his safety and that of Los Demonios’ citizens. That meant three more nights of sharing the bed and inevitably kicking each other in their sleep. All in all it was a rough couple of days, and it suddenly got way worse. 

 

Normally, Joan would come back to the office around nine o’ clock in the evening, but that Thursday, at twelve, she was still nowhere to be seen. Francesca was in the middle of trying to contact the office, but no one would pick up the phone. After her third attempt she practically threw he phone down with a frustrated groan. 

 

”They must have closed” She sat down by the desk and reached for a stack of paper, then stopped halfway and ended up just staring at the wall with her hand on the desk. Tinsley understood how she felt. It was awful not to know what was going on, because it meant none of them had any idea what to do. For all they knew, Joan could have just been delayed for completely harmless reasons, but there was still a _risk._ And that risk was what made Tinsley get up from where he’d been sitting on the floor. 

 

”Right” He said, and made for his coat ”I’m going out” 

 

Francesca looked like she was about to protest, but then evidently changed her mind. 

 

”Be back in two hours” She commanded ”We can’t go worrying about you too” 

 

”Got it” 

 

 

 

The street outside was dark and cold. Tinsley pulled his coat tighter around him and started by scanning the street for anyone. He saw nothing. No one coming home after a late rehearsal, no one laying knocked out in an alley. Grateful for the latter, at least, he started moving towards Coin Avenue, keeping his eyes open all the way. 

 

There weren’t many people out. In fact, the only person Tinsley had seen up close so far was a man who’d started walking in front of him as he crossed Smoking Joe’s Alley. He didn’t seem to have noticed Tinsley yet, which was somewhat intentional on Tinsley’s part. Judging from the newspapers he’d been reading there was no telling who might be out late at night in Los Demonios, and he would prefer not to get into any unnecessary trouble. 

 

The two reached a neighborhood of villas, and the man suddenly slowed down. He took a right and entered one of the gardens as if he owned the place. Which he probably did, considering these were houses in which Tinsley had to presume people lived. He passed the man without a word as he stood on the house’s doorstep, continued down the street and finally reached Little Griffin Street. 

 

In the distance, he could see the office building. It looked dark, probably closed long ago. With a muttered curse, Tinsley checked his watch. He’d only been gone for twenty minutes, so he had plenty of time before he needed to go back, but the question was of where to begin. Could Joan have taken a different way home? Tinsley stopped by the office to think, looking around himself to get a sense of where one might go to get to Black Bear Alley. _Fuck,_ he hadn’t spent much time in the area and it felt like every road was just going to get him lost somewhere. And there was no one to ask. 

 

Or actually- 

 

Tinsley suddenly spotted someone further down the street. They were emerging from a side street with slow, dragging steps, and they were wearing a long, red coat. A coat that Tinsley quickly realized he recognized. He broke into a sprint, yelling loud enough to wake the local residents up. 

 

”Joan!” 

 

She didn’t react at first, but then as he got closer she slowly turned around. When she spotted him, it was as though she needed a while to focus before her half-lidded eyes lit up with recognition. 

 

”Tinsley” She said weakly just as he reached her ”How come you’re out so late?” 

 

Tinsley didn’t get the time to answer before he had to rush forward to stop her from collapsing on the ground. Quickly, he checked her forehead finding it not hot with fever, as he’d expected, but rather surprisingly cold. Her breath came slowly, but at least it was regular. That had to be a good sign, right? Tinsley didn’t have much medical experience to go off of, but that sounded right. He kept his voice soft as he spoke to Joan. Not much of value, since she couldn’t exactly hear him in her state, just calming words that were directed at both her and himself alike. 

 

Moving Joan proved to be a tricky affair. She couldn’t walk, of course, and he could only carry her for a while at a time before he had to rest. In the end he stopped outside a telephone booth right by the office building and sat Joan down outside it, intending to call Francesca for help. He never had to, however, since someone rounded the corner just as he opened the booth. 

 

”Hey there, detective!” Legs was dressed surprisingly light for the evening, with no coat and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He smiled at Tinsley, but his expression quickly became worried as he noticed Joan. Before Tinsley could ask for help he was already hurrying towards them. 

 

”What’s happened to her?” He crouched down next to Joan and picked up her arm, putting two fingers to her wrist, as Tinsley truthfully replied that he wasn’t sure. 

 

”I think she might be sick” He explained ”I’m trying to get her home” 

 

”I’ll help you out then” Legs said, without a moment’s hesitation, then picked Joan up in his arms with surprising ease. 

 

”Thank you” Tinsley wasn’t sure what to do, other than follow Legs as he put his namesakes to good use and started walking towards Black Bear Alley at a quick pace. Not that Tinsley couldn’t keep up, he was just impressed since he’d been slowed down considerably by carrying Joan. 

 

They walked in silence for a while, with Tinsley keeping a watchful eye on Joan. She didn’t look like she was in pain, at least, and her breathing was still steady. In fact, it almost looked like she was sleeping in Legs’ arms. 

 

Ah yes, Legs would be a problem. Tinsley had to shift his focus from Joan for a while as he tried to figure out how, exactly, he was going to avoid Legs seeing Ricky at the office. They really should have planned ahead for something like this, he thought, but quickly figured that worrying over that wouldn’t exactly help him now. In an ideal world he’d be able to lose Legs before they actually entered the house, but that depended on how much time Legs was willing to invest in the matter. 

 

”So” Tinsley broke the silence ”I forgot to ask, how come you’re out this late?” 

 

”Funny story actually, I forgot my coat at the office” Legs’ eyes crinkled as he laughed ”Not the first time it’s happened. I’m dumb like that” 

 

Tinsley laughed with the other, all the while mentally cursing that Legs didn’t have anything more pressing to attend to. He’d have to come up with something better then. 

 

It felt like they reached Black Bear Alley far too soon. As they were going up the elevator Tinsley actually considered trying his luck at getting Legs on their side for a moment, but he knew that idea was useless. In the end, what he came up with wasn’t perfect, but it was the best he could do. 

 

”We should probably put her in a bed” It came out slightly less natural than what was ideal, but it was better than nothing. 

 

”Good call” Legs nodded ”She’s staying with Francesca, right?” 

 

”Yeah” Tinsley was already making for the door to her office ”I’ll go get her. You wait here” 

 

He opened the door and hurried inside. Francesca and Ricky looked up as he entered, and without a word he crossed the room in two long steps, throwing a hand over Ricky’s mouth. 

 

”I found Joan” He said loudly, then lowered his voice to a whisper ”And Legs helped me bring her here” 

 

Francesca’s eyes widened, but there wasn’t a shred of surprise in her voice as she replied. 

 

”I’ll go talk to him” 

 

She hurried out and Tinsley let go of Ricky, who glared at him without a word. Tinsley glared back and quickly scanned the room, finally settling on a large wardrobe. He opened it, found it empty and then turned to Ricky with a meaning glance. Ricky rolled his eyes, but got the hint and got inside with a whispered insult that Tinsley paid no mind to. He closed the door to the closet and walked out of the office to join the others. 

 

They’d gone into Francesca’s apartment, as messy as ever, and were in the middle of tucking Joan in. When Tinsley walked in, Francesca gave him a questioning look, and he nodded in response, hoping that would be reassuring enough. 

 

 

 

In the end the closet proved to have been unnecessary, since Legs just left to go get his coat once he was sure Joan would be fine, at least according to Francesca. It was fun letting Ricky out, however. Tinsley briefly explained to him that Francesca was still with Joan, that he intended to go to bed and that Ricky was free to sleep in the wardrobe if he liked. That got him a punch to the arm, but it was still funny so he didn’t mind too much. 

 

The two of them stayed up for a little longer after that, drinking tea and- at least in Tinsley’s case- trying to calm down a little. Even with that, it was hard to fall asleep once he did so, his mind spinning with questions. What had happened to Joan? And _why_? Was the mysterious client behind it? Tinsley went through alternatives upon alternatives until he wasn’t sure if he was thinking straight anymore. When Ricky’s vampire idea started seeming a little too plausible for his own comfort he was thankful to find he was starting to fall asleep. And he finally did, cursing Ricky’s stupid ideas. 

 

 

 

The next morning he was woken up by Ricky trying to get out of bed, tripping over his legs and landing on the floor with a string of curses loud enough to wake up a dead man. After coming up with an equally impressive collection of swear words directed at his friend, Tinsley got dressed and he and Ricky ate breakfast while continuing their fighting. When they were done, they walked out of the apartment, crossed the corridor and agreed to a truce before knocking on Francesca’s door. 

 

Francesca opened quickly and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. 

 

”She’s still sleeping” She explained ”Let’s go to my office” 

 

They did, and Francesca told them what had happened since last time, which was not much at all. She’d kept watch all throughout the night, but Joan hadn’t woken up, nor had her condition changed. 

 

”I don’t think it’s anything dangerous” Francesca sighed ”But I’m also not sure what it is. Did you catch anything when you met her, Tinsley?” 

 

Tinsley shook his head. 

 

”She seemed…dazed, in a sense. But I couldn’t tell-” 

 

”There you are” Tinsley was cut off. By Joan, of all people. He, Ricky and Francesca turned to her, and for a while none of them could do more than stare in confusion. She was standing in the door, wearing the same clothes as yesterday and looking completely normal. Ricky was the first to regain his senses. 

 

”You’re awake” He was stating the obvious, of course, and it made Joan laugh. 

 

”I am” She confirmed, with a smile that seemed brighter than ever. 

 

”How-” Francesca began, then paused for a moment before continuing ”How are you feeling?” 

 

”Oh, so much better” Joan walked into the room and sat down on a chair next to Francesca ”I don’t know what came over me yesterday, to be quite honest. I’m sorry if I caused you trouble” 

 

”No, no” Francesca waved her hand dismissively ”Not at all” 

 

”As Francesca said” Tinsley agreed ”But I have to ask- what happened to you?” 

 

”Oh, well” Joan frowned slightly ”It’s a bit of a long story. I had just finished rehearsal and I was on my way home when I noticed this woman entering Night Night and Legs’ office, and I thought she looked an awful lot like that woman ms Gangjeon told me about, so I stayed and eavesdropped a little. I couldn’t hear properly, but I think they called her Dorovei, or something like that” 

 

”Doroftei?” Ricky tried and Joan snapped her fingers. 

 

”That’s it” She said, and Ricky shot Tinsley a meaning glance as she continued ”Well, they talked for a bloody while, but then they finally finished up and she left. So- and I see now that this was quite reckless of me- I decided to follow her. I figured I’d try to find out where she lived or something, but I never got that far. She must have heard me or something because she led me into this dead end and- and I can’t really remember much after that. I’m sorry” 

 

The room was silent. Tinsley, Francesca and Ricky looked at each other, trying to make sense of what they’d just heard. Once again, Ricky was the first to speak. 

 

”Jojo” He said softly ”Can I see your neck?” 

 

Joan looked confused for a second, then pulled her collar down, revealing a set of wounds Tinsley was starting to get used to by now. 

 

”Yeah” He breathed ”That’s ms Doroftei alright” 

 

”Son of a _bitch_ ” Was Ricky’s very insightful comment. 

 

”We’ll need a plan” Tinsley found himself thankful for Francesca’s levelheadedness, and expressed said gratitude to her. 

 

”I think our first step should be to figure out how to protect Joan” He then continued ”We don’t know what ms Doroftei might try and do to her” 

 

”That’s true” Francesca agreed ”I can take care of that, and in the meantime you can try and figure out where we can find her, besides the office” 

 

”She’s going to be at the opening night” Joan cut in ”I heard them talk about it when I was eavesdropping. I’m not sure if that helps but-” 

 

”That’s perfect” Ricky interrupted her with a grin ”It’s crowded so it’ll be hard to spot us. And Joan will be safe up on stage while we lure her off somewhere without witnesses” 

 

”Is that what we’re doing?” Tinsley asked skeptically ”Killing her?” 

 

”Why not?” Ricky shrugged ”We’ve tried before. And she’s tried to kill three out of four of us so it’s not like she can complain” 

 

”He’s got a point” Francesca didn’t seem in the least hesitant about the prospect of committing murder ”If you don’t want to, me and Ricky can take care of it” 

 

”That’s not the issue here” Tinsley found it a little worrying that he had to explain himself ”I’m just wondering if we’re sure this is what we want to do?” 

 

There was a moment of silence. Then, Joan spoke. 

 

”I’m in” She said ”I’m pretty sure she really is a vampire, and even if she isn’t she still tried to kill us” 

 

”Exactly” Ricky nodded ”Besides, it’ll be fun. Nothing brings people together like some light murdering” 

 

”While I don’t agree with that” Francesca made sure to express ”I’m all for killing her. And Ricky’s right, it’s a perfect opportunity” 

 

All eyes turned to Tinsley. He returned their looks one by one. Francesca who seemed like she was just discussing something normal, Joan who looked determined and Ricky who looked like he’d just proposed a trip to the movies and not murder. Tinsley sighed. 

 

”Fine” He said. 

 

 

 

Deciding to murder someone was one thing, but to actually plan it out was another thing entirely. Then, when it came time to put the plan into motion it became a third thing and Tinsley was getting quite tired of the whole ordeal already. 

 

He and Francesca were on their way up to Night Night and Legs’ office, three days after Joan’s incident, and joined in the elevator by G’Day, who was as not very talkative as ever. Tinsley felt like he might be acting nervous. His hands were clenched in his coat pockets, and he had to resist the urge to run them through his hair every five seconds to get something to do with them. Every time G’Day moved it felt like he was looking at Tinsley funny, and he suspected that if the elevator didn’t stop soon he might just start babbling at G’Day for lack of anything else to do. 

 

Luckily, the elevator did stop. G’Day, Francesca and Tinsley got out on the top floor, and Francesca made for the office door with confident steps. Tinsley followed her, feeling like a particularly nervous and large dog, and took a deep breath as she knocked on the door. 

 

Legs opened and smiled at them both. 

 

”Detective, Francesca” He welcomed them in with a sweeping gesture ”What brings you here today?” 

 

”Good news, I hope” Night Night was seated at the desk, writing something down. He didn’t look up at them until he was done, and then it was with a demanding glare. 

 

”I’ll let you be the judge of that, sir” Tinsley cleared his throat ”But it is certainly news” 

 

”Then get to it” Four words from Night Night, and that was it. No going back now. Tinsley took a deep breath. 

 

”We have sources saying that mr Goldsworth might be showing up at the Ostrich Casino opening night” 

 

Night Night’s eyes narrowed. 

 

”Interesting” He murmured ”And who are these sources?” 

 

”Miss Joan Porter claimed to have seen him at the casino at the rehearsal last night” Francesca’s lying was continuously excellent ”We looked into it, and a few of the band saw him as well” 

 

The last bit was true, actually. Ricky had needed a way to get in, and had snuck around the building at the rehearsal, figuring everyone would be too busy with that to pay him any mind. Evidently, it had only worked to an extent, but in the end it _was_ good to have more than one witness to tell Night Night and Legs about. 

 

”Sounds legit. And sounds like we have a problem” Legs turned to Night Night with a concerned frown. 

 

”No we don’t, Legs” Night Night shook his head, a slight smirk spreading over his face ”In fact, this is perfect. We cannot thank you two enough for your help” 

 

His eyes bored deep into Tinsley as he finished the sentence, and Tinsley suddenly felt like they needed to call the whole thing off. There was just something about Night Night that made Tinsley feel like a frog laid out on a dissection table. Well, it was too late to change his mind now. Better to calm himself and try to get out of this alive. 

 

”I’m glad I was able to help” Tinsley returned Night Night’s smile ”Now, if you don’t mind, we have a request to make” 

 

”I’m all ears” Night Night said. 

 

”Listening intently” Legs filled in. 

 

”Considering mr Goldsworth is still our mission we’d like to attend the evening. Blend in with the crowd” Francesca smiled at Night Night ”If it’s not too much trouble, of course” 

 

”No, no. Not at all” Night Night shook his head ”I’ll put you two on the list. If everything goes according to plan, your invites will be delivered to you tonight” 

 

”Wear something nice” Legs added ”It’s gonna be fancy” 

 

Francesca and Tinsley thanked the two for the invites, and for the advice, then left the office. The moment the elevator closed and they were no longer under G’Day’s watchful eyes, Tinsley breathed a deep sigh of relief. 

 

”You did great” Francesca patted his back and gave him an encouraging smile ”Now, do you have anything to wear?” 

 

 

 

Tinsley actually did. He’d brought his best suit with him to Los Demonios, figuring it’d be of more use to him there than back in his apartment in Old York. Being his best, of course, didn’t mean much. He was still the one with the worst suit out of him, Ricky and Francesca. Joan had gotten her dress delivered to her along with the invites, by none other than G’Day. She was still doing fine, despite what Ricky seemed to think. He’d taken to wearing a silver crucifix hidden under his shirt and when Tinsley asked about it he’d made him promise not to tell Joan. 

 

Well, it wasn’t like it hurt anyone, Tinsley figured. He was sitting on his bed, waiting for the time to pass so he could finally meet up with Francesca and get to the damn place. Ricky and Joan had already left, the former early in the morning so as to not be seen with the rest of the group, the latter about midday for the dress rehearsal. Tinsley and Francesca would have to wait for the party to start like the ordinary guests, which meant they’d leave at seven thirty and arrive at eight sharp. Right now it was only twenty five minutes past seven and Tinsley had already gone over what he needed to do in his head more times than he could count. 

 

He got up from the bed and made for the kitchen. There were unread newspapers spread all over the table and he picked one up, figuring he could try and catch up a little to waste time. Not quite able to focus completely he flipped through them one by one, never finding anything that caught his interest. There had been another axe murder, he finally noted, but by the time he got to that he happened to cast a glance at the clock and found it to be time for him to go. Leaving the paper open on the table, he got up and left the apartment. As he was locking the door, Francesca joined him in the corridor. 

 

”Nervous?” She asked with a somewhat amused look. 

 

”Yeah” Tinsley replied truthfully, and she laughed. Then she locked her door and the two of them began walking towards the elevator. 

 

”Don’t be” She reassured him as they got in ”You’re probably the one least likely to die” 

 

”Well, I’m worried about you as well. And Ricky” Tinsley pressed the bottom floor’s button. Francesca was quiet for a moment, then patted his arm gently. 

 

”That’s very sweet of you” She said ”But you shouldn’t be. I’m good at not dying. It’s part of my job” 

 

”What even is your job?” Tinsley felt compelled to ask, since he still wasn’t entirely sure. 

 

”It varies. I’m sort of a professional multitasker” 

 

”Right” Tinsley nodded ”That doesn’t explain anything” 

 

Francesca laughed. 

 

”It’ll have to remain a mystery, then” She said ”Something for you to solve next, perhaps” 

 

With that, the conversation ended. The two stepped outside and began walking towards the Ostrich Casino. It was further away than the office, but walking wasn’t an issue. They’d still be there at a reasonable time, unless something unexpected and time-consuming happened. 

 

Which it did. Unfortunately. 

 

Tinsley figured he should have seen it coming. Really, it was just his luck to be on his way to a very important event at which he had people to look after and then notice that one of the houses he and Francesca were walking past had its door open. Tinsley stopped, and Francesca did the same once she noticed him standing still and staring at a house. Before she could ask, he put a finger to his lips, hushing her. 

 

Someone was moving in the house’s hallway. A figure, hard to make out in the shadows came down the stairs, then stopped by the open door, its back turned to Tinsley and Francesca. They were doing…something. What, Tinsley couldn’t tell, but it was over quickly and after a soft murmur, the figure finally turned around. It walked forward, stepping out into the light, and Tinsley could finally get a good look at the person. His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the man, standing in the doorway with blood stains all over his coat, and a deep cut across his hand. Blood dripped from it, onto the floor in the hallway, forming a trail as he started walking again. As he drew closer to Tinsley and Francesca, Tinsley found himself struggling to form a coherent sentence. In the end, all he could say was: 

 

”Detective Lynham?” 

 

This seemed to amuse Lynham. He smiled, then- just as Francesca grabbed onto Tinsley’s arm and quite sensibly started running- he shook his head. 

 

 

 

Francesca pulled Tinsley along for a few blocks, until they were sure they weren’t followed. Then, she slowed to a jog and let go of his arm. 

 

”You know that man?” She asked. Tinsley nodded. 

 

”He used to work with me in Old York” He explained, slightly out of breath ”Didn’t take him for the type, but who knows who’s committing murder these days” 

 

”Wanna call the police on him?” Francesca checked her watch ”We have time” 

 

Tinsley got the strange impression that this was her way of trying to comfort him. It was sweet, in a sense, but he shook his head. 

 

”I don’t think it’s a good call to talk to any police officers right now” He said, and Francesca nodded. 

 

”It isn’t” She agreed ”They’ll probably find him though. Don’t worry” 

 

She gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder, and he sighed. It was true what Francesca was saying, but it still felt wrong to just run off from a crime scene like that. Tinsley was seriously starting to worry about where his life was going. 

 

Then, he didn’t have time to anymore, as he and Francesca rounded a corner and the Ostrich Casino came into view in all its splendor. From the ground it looked to be endlessly high, and lit up by a million lanterns. That was an exaggeration, of course, but Tinsley had had a rough evening and felt it could be excused. 

 

Francesca fished their invites out of her suit pocket and handed them over to the guards stationed outside. She and Tinsley were then welcomed into the growing crowd of people, all gravitating towards the center of the room and the stage. The curtains were still down, but even without music the room was filled with the noise of the crowd eagerly talking amongst each other. Tinsley spied out over the sea of expensive hairdos, hoping to catch a glimpse of either Ricky or ms Doroftei. He saw neither, but the night was still young. There was a chance that Ricky hadn’t snuck in yet, since the personel entrance behind the stage was probably in frequent use at the moment and one never knew with ms Doroftei. 

 

The room continued to fill up for a few more minutes, and Tinsley kept an eye on the entrance until the curtains finally rolled up, revealing Night Night and Legs with a microphone each. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Tinsley and Francesca joined in. 

 

”Sorry for the delay, folks” Legs’ voice boomed through the room ”And thank you for showing up tonight!” 

 

More cheers followed, as background noise to Legs’ laugh. He turned to Night Night with an easy smile. 

 

”Night Night, do you have anything to say to all these fine people?” 

 

”Why, as a matter of fact I do” It was bizarre hearing Night Night sounding as cheerful as he did ”First off, I too would like to thank you all for coming here tonight. I assure you, we will be doing our best to make sure the evening does not disappoint. Secondly, I’d like to say a big thank you to our lovely singer, miss Joan Porter!” 

 

Night Night made a sweeping gesture towards the right side of the stage, where Joan walked out with confident steps and a bright smile on her face. She took the microphone from Night Night and have him a hug before he and Legs left the stage. Once they were off, the band started playing and Joan greeted the crowd before starting to sing. 

 

As always, she was excellent. Her voice carried over the instruments and over the crowd, pulling them with her in slight dance moves. Francesca didn’t move, but she seemed captivated nonetheless. Her eyes were wide as she followed Joan’s every move and there was something about her expression that made Tinsley decide not to distract her just yet. Plus, he too was having trouble taking his eyes off the stage. It took someone tugging at the back of his suit for him to finally shift his eyes elsewhere. 

 

”You seen Doroftei yet?” Ricky asked. His time out in town didn’t seem to have had any negative effect on his getup in the slightest. In fact, Tinsley was pretty sure he was wearing a few new rings. 

 

”Nope” He shook his head ”But I did see a lot of other stuff that I can’t wait to tell you about later” 

 

”Not the right time with this many people around?” 

  
”Exactly” 

 

”Fair” Ricky shrugged ”Anyway, we better start looking for Doroftei so we can get this thing over with” 

 

”You’re right” Tinsley agreed ”Mind waking Francesca up?” 

 

Ricky did not mind, and as he gave Francesca the same treatment he’d given Tinsley earlier, Tinsley once again scanned the crowd for blond hair and a pair of eyes that felt like what he imagined being stabbed with icicles must be like. At first he had no luck, but then he noticed movement next to the stage. A door opened, and wouldn’t you know? Out stepped the alleged vampire. Tinsley nudged Francesca and Ricky, pointing towards ms Doroftei. 

 

”There she is” He whispered ”Are we ready to go?” 

 

”Of course” Ricky smiled and Francesca nodded. Without further conversation, the trio split up, Francesca taking off to the side, Ricky making for ms Doroftei and Tinsley following him at a safe distance. Tinsley pushed through the crowd, dodging elbows and trays with elegant drinks until he noticed Ricky slowing down in front of him. Francesca was close by, somewhere on ms Doroftei’s right as the woman made eye contact with Ricky and her blue eyes narrowed. Ricky stood still for a moment, then began to move, faster than earlier. And just as planned, ms Doroftei followed. 

 

Tinsley and Francesca, in turn, followed her, as Ricky made for a smaller exit close to the main one. He opened the door with a last glance over his shoulder, and for a split second he locked eyes with Tinsley. Then, he slipped out into the night, followed by ms Doroftei. 

 

Tinsley reached the door moments later and looked around for Francesca. She was nowhere to be seen, and he considered waiting for her for a second, but then quickly decided it was better to back Ricky up immediately. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped outside into a dark alley. 

 

From there, things happened quickly. He noticed Ricky, slumped against the wall across the alley. The door closed behind him. 

 

Something hit him in the back of the head, and he could only blink in confusion as his world span and he fell to the ground. 

 

 

 

The first thing Tinsley noticed when he woke was that he couldn’t move. His arms were tightly tied to a chair, and his legs had gotten the same treatment. Confused as to what had happened, he cast a few glances around the room he was currently in. It was an office, probably meant for someone working at the casino, but that wasn’t who was there at the moment. In the chair next to Tinsley’s was Ricky, he too tied up, and at the desk across from him sat Bella Doroftei. She smiled, with an unusual amount of warmth when she noticed he was awake. 

 

”Good morning, detective” She greeted him, then added ”I’m just kidding, it’s still night” 

 

Tinsley wasn’t sure what to say to that, which seemed to amuse ms Doroftei because she laughed out loud. 

 

”You seem shocked” She said ”You didn’t expect that one did you?” 

 

”Not- Not really, no” Tinsley managed to respond. 

 

”Well, do you wanna see something even better?” Ms Doroftei didn’t wait for an answer. She just got up from the desk and walked closer to Tinsley and Ricky, who was starting to wake up. His eyes widened when he noticed ms Doroftei, but he didn’t say anything, just cast Tinsley a worried glance. Tinsley returned it, then turned back to ms Doroftei and immediately noticed something odd. It looked like her skin was…moving. Or rather, like something under it was moving. It stretched her features out, changed them beyond recognition, and then back to a face Tinsley recognized. He’d been so busy staring into the changing eyes that it wasn’t until they settled for a color that he registered that even ms Doroftei’s body and hair had changed to perfectly resemble detective Lynham. 

 

He smiled, unlike himself, but _so_ like the smile he’d given Tinsley earlier that evening, and all Tinsley could do was stare. 

 

”Like it?” Lynham (Or ms Doroftei?) asked ”It’s handy, I must say. Good for all sorts of shady business” 

 

”How did you-” Tinsley was vaguely aware that he was stuttering ”How the hell did you do that?” 

 

”Oh that’s a long story. A really long one, and I don’t know how much you know about demons” Lynham shrugged ”Do you know what the best part is, though? I still haven’t gotten to who I _really_ am” 

 

Once again, the…person’s face started shifting around Lynham’s smile. It didn’t take as long for the transformation to be completed this time, with the body not going through that many changes and the hair only growing slightly. 

 

Once it was finally done, Tinsley found himself face to face with Legs. 

 

”Did I shock you? I hope I did” He snorted ”You should see your face right now” 

 

Tinsley imagined it was pretty funny, especially to Legs. Somewhere in the back of his mind it registered that Ricky was never going to let him live this down, as he took a deep, unsteady breath and spoke. 

 

”How am I supposed to trust you?” 

 

”Sorry, what?” 

 

”How do I know you’re telling the truth? If you can turn into anyone you could just be pretending to be Legs” Tinsley reasoned.

 

”Now why in the world would I lie to you, detective?” Legs rolled his eyes ”It’s not like you’ll be getting out of this alive, anyway. I don’t have any reason to” 

 

”That’s uplifting” Tinsley muttered, but he didn’t think Legs heard him, as Night Night chose that moment to enter the room, followed by G’Day who was carrying Francesca like she weighed nothing. 

 

”Would you look at that, gang’s all here” Night Night’s tone still held traces of the cheery version of himself he’d been on stage, but it darkened when he turned to Ricky. 

 

”Hello Ricky” 

 

”Good to see you” Ricky’s tone was casual, but his eyes were narrowed and watchful. He followed Night Night with his gaze as he stepped past him and leaned back against the desk. 

 

”You know” He began ”I didn’t expect you people to team up. It almost took us by surprise” 

 

”But you noticed?” Tinsley got the feeling that he was going to be monologued at wether he liked it or not, so he figured he could speed up the process. 

 

”Not at first, but when I saw miss Porter opening the door for Ricky it kinda fell into place” 

 

Tinsley felt his entire body freeze. Joan had _not_ been supposed to get involved more than necessary so why in the world- 

 

”She’s really insistent on helping you people” Night Night continued ”Which is a shame, because she’s an excellent singer. I’d have loved to hire her full time, but that’s not going to be an option after ms Doroftei is finished with her” 

 

”Leave her out of this” Tinsley strained hopelessly against his ropes, hearing Francesca yell something behind him. 

 

”She had no part in it” Ricky joined in ”I forced her to help me” 

 

”You’re really bad at lying, you know that?” Night Night gave Ricky an unimpressed look ”I’d expected more, if I’m honest” 

 

”Get used to disappointment then” 

 

That made Night Night’s expression darken. He moved closer to Ricky, his jaw tensing, and for a moment Tinsley thought he might hit Ricky. He didn’t. Instead, he leaned in close, fixing Ricky with a sharp glare. 

 

”I _am_ used to disappointment” He said through gritted teeth ”And you have no idea how much” 

 

He took a step back and straightened his back, then continued. 

 

”How much did Lucy tell you about me? Not much, I imagine” For a moment he fished around in his pocket, finally revealing Ricky’s crucifix ”Did she give you this? It looks like hers” 

 

Ricky’s jaw tensed, which was enough confirmation. Tinsley looked between him and Night Night, as questions rushed through his head faster than he could process. The most obvious of them returning over and over. _Who in the world was Lucy?_

 

Night Night sighed. 

 

”She just keeps on giving Legs trouble” 

 

It was true that Legs looked troubled. Every slight movement of the crucifix made him flinch, and his eyes followed it intently. Right. There was that whole demon thing, that Tinsley was still having trouble wrapping his head around. It probably made sense to Ricky, but he evidently had other things to worry about at the moment. 

 

_Who the_ fuck _was Lucy?_

 

”How is she, by the way?” Night Night asked ”How’s she holding up without me?”

 

Ricky didn’t respond. He lowered his gaze and Tinsley caught his jaw shifting, like he was grinding his teeth. Sensing that there would be no more monologuing from Night Night, he spoke. 

 

”What are you going to do to us?” 

 

”Kill you, probably” Legs shrugged ”Or well, ms Doroftei will. That’s why she hired us, after all. But Francesca, you can choose method if that makes you feel better” 

 

Francesca didn’t get the time to reply. She was cut off by the sound of something hitting the wall in the corridor behind G’Day. He quickly turned around, dropping Francesca on the floor in the process and she maneuvered closer to Tinsley and Ricky. 

 

Tinsley couldn’t see the source of the noise from where he was sitting, but it was evidently something that distressed G’Day greatly because he muttered a curse, then said one of the longest sentences Tinsley had ever heard him utter. 

 

”Oi. Wot’s the matter?” 

 

”We have a problem” Came ms Doroftei’s voice from the corridor. It was strained, like she was in pain. Moments later she hurried into the room and G’Day closed the door behind him. She walked up to Night Night and Tinsley could finally see what was wrong with her. For whatever reason, blood dripped from various cuts on her throat and arms, dying her dress a bright red. 

 

”She’s not listening to me, I can’t-” She continued talking, rather incoherently, and Night Night tried to calm her down. G’Day joined the two as well, and Tinsley tried to listen to what was being said, to get a sense of what was going on. Then, he felt something tug at the ropes binding his hands. A moment later he was free, and a knife was stuck in his hand. With a quick glance over his shoulder he confirmed what he’d suspected. Francesca was crouched behind him, and to his left, Ricky was already using a knife of his own to free his legs. Tinsley quickly did the same, hoping with all he had that their captors would remain focused on ms Doroftei. 

 

They did for a while, until a knock on the door made them all turn around, just as Tinsley got through the rope. 

 

Night Night cursed loudly and hurried forward towards Ricky, but was stopped by Ricky pointing his knife at him. Meanwhile, G’Day got in front of ms Doroftei and Legs fixed his eyes on the door, as it slowly opened. 

 

Tinsley turned around, just in time to see Joan open in completely. 

 

She was breathing heavily, and had a few cuts similar to ms Doroftei’s, but she was alive. Thank god. Tinsley sighed in relief and managed a smile at her despite the situation. She returned it, as blinding as ever and with the addition of two razor sharp teeth, then slowly began moving into the room. G’Day was the first to meet her, leaving ms Doroftei behind and drawing a knife. Before he could get to Joan, however, Francesca tackled him, sending him straight into the wall with a loud crash. 

 

Suddenly, everything seemed to happen all at once. As Francesca used all means necessary to keep G’Day on the ground, Joan picked up her pace and hurled into ms Doroftei with a war cry. That caught Ricky’s attention long enough for Night Night to land a punch on him, which was quickly returned, sending Legs into action. Tinsley noticed him move and hurried forward himself, managing to get a hold on Legs before he could interfere with Ricky and Night Night’s fight. He had sort of predicted what would happen next, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed getting punched in the face by Legs. The strike sent him to the floor, and he made a move to get up when another punch sent him right back. Tinsley’s head fell to the left and something caught his eye. A glimmer of silver on the floor next to him, just out of reach. 

 

Realizing what it was, he quickly reached out and snatched it off the ground. Night Night must have dropped the little crucifix at some point during the fight, which was unfortunate for him and a blessing for Tinsley. He quickly turned around and managed to get a hold on Legs’ arm as he tried to punch Tinsley. The crucifix in Tinsley’s hand pressed against Legs’ lower arm and he screamed in pain, quickly backing off. This gave Tinsley some time to get a sense of the situation in the rest of the room, and he looked to his left just in time to see Francesca throw G’Day out of the window. He managed to catch a glimpse of ms Doroftei baring her teeth at Joan as well, and then Legs dove at him again. This time, Tinsley was prepared. He grabbed both ends of the silver chain holding the crucifix and managed to catch Legs around the neck with it. It got the same reaction as before, with Legs quickly getting himself out of Tinsley’s reach. 

 

At that moment, ms Doroftei yelled in agony, catching both Tinsley and Legs’ attention. They turned at the same time, and got to watch ms Doroftei crumble to the floor with Francesca’s knife in her chest and a deep wound in the side of her neck. Joan stood over her, with Francesca by her side, and once ms Doroftei’s eyes finally shut, the two turned to Legs. 

 

”Well” He sighed ”There goes our client” 

 

He turned to Night Night and Ricky, catching Ricky with his arm around Night Night’s throat. It looked like Night Night had been out for a long time, because his eyes were closed and his lips were turning blue. That didn’t seem to concern Legs too much, however. His movements were nonchalant as he crossed the room and put a hand on Ricky’s arm. 

 

”Let him go, pal” Legs said calmly ”I’ll get him out of here” 

 

”Wait, what?” Ricky’s grip loosened slightly and Night Night took a shaky breath. His eyes didn’t open, though, and Tinsley sighed in relief. 

 

”No point in sticking around if we don’t have anyone paying us anymore” Legs shrugged ”Besides I’d rather not you strangle my best friend” 

 

He grabbed Ricky’s wrist and easily bent it off Night Night, despite Ricky visibly fighting against the grip. Then, he caught Night Night before he hit the floor, picked him up and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. As he made for the door, Ricky made a move to stop him, but Tinsley grabbed his arm, shaking his head slightly. 

 

”Appreciate it, Detective” Legs smiled at him, then as an afterthought added ”Oh and miss Porter, by the way. A word of advice for you: associating with humans is pretty frowned upon in our circles. Might get you cast out or something” 

 

Joan crossed her arms over her chest. 

 

”It’s nothing I’m worried about” 

 

”Me neither” Legs nodded at her ”But it can be rough” 

 

Then, he walked out of the room, leaving the group to deal with ms Doroftei’s body. 

 

 

 

It turned out to be a relatively simple affair, helped greatly by Ricky’s knowledge of vampire novels. After putting a table leg through her chest (which was gross, in Tinsley’s humble opinion) she crumbled into a pile of something that vaguely resembled ash and Tinsley tried to avoid stepping in as the group snuck out of the room and the Ostrich Casino itself. 

 

Down on the street they took a moment to breathe, and check that everyone was fine. Bruises were beginning to form on Tinsley’s face, and both Joan and Francesca had cuts that needed to be tended to, but all in all they were all relatively fine. 

 

Or well, in Joan’s case that was debatable. 

 

She seemed shaken, both by what had happened to her and by Legs’ words. At first she wouldn’t talk, but when Francesca put an arm around her shoulders and led her off from Tinsley and Ricky it sounded like she started to open up. Her and Francesca’s voices could be heard as low murmurs through the night, and while Tinsley couldn’t hear what was being said exactly, the tone was soft and tender. Tinsley didn’t want to intrude, so he gently nudged Ricky further away from the conversation, finally getting a chance to ask what he’d been thinking about for a while now. 

 

”Who’s Lucy?” 

 

”Wouldn’t you like to know?” Ricky glared at him, and Tinsley sighed. 

 

”You know, for all that you insist we’re friends you don’t tell me much about yourself. I don’t even know what your favorite color is” He put a hand on Ricky’s shoulder, feeling him flinch slightly, but then relax into the touch. 

 

”It’s red” Ricky grumbled. 

 

”Like blood?” 

 

”Yeah”

 

”Classy” 

 

”Well I bet your favorite color is something stupid like beige” Ricky sighed and went silent for a moment. He looked at his toes, and when he finally spoke again it was silent. 

 

”Lucy is my mom, by the way” He said ”Lucy Goldsworth. She lives in town, by the church” 

 

”Oh” Tinsley was in all honesty surprised that Ricky had told him ”Well, Ricky, I think it’s great that you told me this. Maybe you were right and murder really does bring people together” 

 

”Shut up” Ricky shrugged Tinsley’s hand off and put his hands in his pockets. The look he sent Tinsley kind of made him feel bad about joking right now. Evidently, it was not the right time. 

 

”Hey” He softened his voice and put his hand back on Ricky’s shoulder ”I’m glad you told me. Honestly. And I get if you don’t wanna talk any more about it, but it does sound like you need to talk to mama Goldsworth about what Night Night said” 

 

”Yeah” Ricky sighed ”I guess you’re right. I’m not looking forward to it, though” 

 

”I get that” Tinsley nodded. He looked at Ricky and realized that he’d never seen his friend look this scared before. It was a strange thought, and one that kind of scared Tinsley. Then, a new thought took over, or rather, an idea. There was a good chance that it’d get him killed, but he chose to ignore the voice telling him that as he carefully pulled Ricky into a hug. At first, Ricky sounded like he was about to protest, then felt like he was about to push Tinsley away. 

 

Then, finally he wrapped his arms around Tinsley, returning the hug in an admittedly pretty awkward manner. But it was something, Tinsley figured. 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is kinda the end of this "arc" but I do want to write more about this gang. I just need to figure out what first khgfkhg if any of y'all have things you'd like to read about feel free to suggest them to me in the comments or on tumblr! Thank you so much for reading <33


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